Listening
by festival-chan loves books
Summary: Hinata's got a problem, but she can't tell the one who really listens to her because... Well, it's about him.  NejiHina oneshot.  Don't like the pairing?  Read another story instead. Preferably something really good.


NejiHina oneshot... Don't like, don't read.

Anyway, it's my first NejiHina story.

And I don't usually like incest. Eurgh. I wouldn't date/marry relatives. But Neji and Hinata are a good pairing, I think.

* * *

Hinata had just had a terrible day. 

No, really, it was awful. Her friends had pried out of her the one secret she'd kept.

And that was that she liked, really liked, Neji.

Once Naruto had started going out with Sakura, she'd given up. It had been followed by many tears and much heartache, but she was done waiting. He'd always been nice to her. She'd always loved him. But when he'd admitted to the entire village that he really loved Sakura, and she really loved him, Hinata decided that it was for the best if she moved on.

Not to mentions she'd started hanging out with Neji more often. Sometimes he made her cry. Better, though, were the times he made her laugh. But most of the time, she liked to talk to her taciturn cousin, who would always listen. He'd been there the day that Naruto stood on top of the building he'd always stood on top of, and yelled, "I'm going out with Sakura-chan!" He'd said that Naruto was really great and all, but he'd never really noticed Hinata the way that she'd noticed him. And that he didn't really need her, and she didn't really need him. He'd said that Naruto was a great role model, but he lacked certain qualities. And that had been the day that Hinata noticed Neji did, in fact, have several qualities that Naruto lacked.

Neji talked to Hinata. He listened too, really listened. He could beat her in a sparring match, but then he'd teach her moves that he'd used. He always helped her with whatever she couldn't do, and showed her how to do it so next time she'd be able to.

Neji knew all her problems. But this time... This was one that she just couldn't share. So she turned to the only other one who knew all her problems and never, ever condemned her (not that Neji did either, but still... it was _about _Neji ).

Her teddy bear. It was a little sad, she knew, but still. She always talked to her teddy bear.

Her teddy bear never laughed when she didn't think it was funny (okay, well, Neji didn't do that usually, but when he did laugh, it was funny and that was when she'd realize it), her teddy bear never said useless things (okay, Neji didn't do that). Her teddy bear just sat and listened quietly, and kept all her secrets.

Okay, well, Neji did those things, too. But if she was in love with her teddy bear, well, she wouldn't tell it. (Nor would she tell Neji, for that matter. He didn't condemn or tease, but she knew that if he really thought she needed help, he would get it for her).

Hinata ran home that day. She ran through the door, ran up the stairs, ran past...

Neji. Oh, snap. He was sitting right next to her door, long hair spread out across the floor where he crouched, leaning against the wall. She walked closer.

His usually alert white eyes were closed, and his iPod was in his ears. It was always her firm belief that when someone had their iPod in their ears, they could not hear a thing that was going on around them. Well, maybe they heard, but they couldn't really listen. She always hated talking to people with their iPods on, because she always felt like there was something blocking actual, real communication. Oh, well, it could possibly be those white round pieces of plastic emitting noise jammed in their ears.

When she walked by, he gave a bit of a twitch, but made no other motion, not even opening his big pale eyes (that were so much like hers), so she tiptoed past him to her bedroom, carefully shutting the door (thankfully, it wasn't at all creaky and made no noise). She ran to her bed and hopped onto it, clutching her pillow in one hand and bringing it to her face, while pulling her teddy bear towards her with the other hand.

She began her story, face still in pillow. When she reached the part where they'd started to really bug her, she began to sniffle and tear up. And when she reached the part where she'd told them... She started crying.

"And s-s-so, n-n-n-n-now-" hiccup, sniffle- "they all th-th-think I'm st-t-tupid, f-f-f-for liking him, b-b-b-because he probably d-d-d-d-doesn't like me, and they all think that-t-t lik-k-k-king a c-c-c-cousin is ick-k-ky-" sob. "S-s-so, you s-s-see, Hitomi"- that was her teddy bear's name- "I've h-h-had a r-r-really b-b-b-bad d-d-d-day..."

"I don't think liking your cousin is icky."

Hitomi didn't speak, she was a teddy bear! Teddy bears don't talk! The voice was coming from the doorway.

She looked up, cheeks pink from crying turning redder still. There, in the doorway, stood a very tall boy. He had long dark hair, and wide white eyes that percieved many things. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed.

"I don't think liking your cousin is icky at all."

She blinked.

"In fact, I wish you'd just told me you liked your cousin."

Could it be? She held her breath.

"Because perhaps your cousin likes you, too."

He did! She nearly fainted- _nearly_, as her fainting thing was done when she was done liking Naruto.

He walked over to her and lifted the teddy bear away from her gently, while pulling the pillow away from her face at the same time.

"And perhaps your cousin wishes you would come to him instead of a stuffed toy, which I am sure is very dear to you, but your cousin likes to hear your stories, and he's quite certain that the teddy bear..." He paused. "I'm quite certain I can help you with your problems much better than the teddy bear can." He paused again. "But why did you talk about these things while I was right outside the door? I mean, you could have just told me..."

Hinata spoke for the first time since she had seen Neji enter the room. "I- I thought you were a-asleep... Your eyes w-w-were c-c-closed, and you w-w-w-were l-l-l-listening t-t-t-to your iP-p-pod... P-p-plus... well, you know... it's n-n-not exactly easy t-t-t-to t-t-t-t-talk ab-b-bout..."

"I woke up when you walked by me-" That explained the twitch- "and my iPod's batteries were nearly running out, and I heard you talking. So I listened- Not that I meant to eavesdrop, but I kind of couldn't help it... And if you had, say, a secret boyfriend... In case you'd forgotten, I _am _your bodyguard. I wouldn't mention it if it was something like that, like a secret boyfriend... But, you know, I have to know." He said it awkwardly, which was unusual to say the least. But she understood why he'd done it, and it didn't matter. "Anyway... I hope you'll come to me with your problems... Because... Well..." He looked down, but he'd already said it all.

Hinata flung her arms around him, and said, "Thank you, Neji-nii-san."

"Promise me you'll come to me with your problems in the future. You can tell your teddy bear too, if you need to, but I'd like to hear them... I mean, after all, as you like me and I like you... Aren't we going to be boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Hinata turned pink (she was depressed, as she knew that she had just gotten her face back to its normal pale coloring). "Of c-c-c-course! I'd l-like n-n-n-nothing m-m-m-m-more!" she cried.

"Well then," said Neji. "Hey, I learned a new jutsu today, and I think you'd like it. It's very useful, and it'd be easy for you to pull off. What say you we go train for a little while, and then get dinner? I'll pay."

Of course Hinata said yes.

He pulled off his iPod. "Let me drop this off first. It needs charging. Plus, don't you hate it when people listen to their iPods while you're talking?"

"Oh, y-y-y-yes," said Hinata. But as he picked it up, it turned on. He quickly turned it off, but not before she saw the battery meter.

It was full. So he'd just been listening to her talk, because?

She decided not to mention it.

* * *

I got the idea for this while walking with someone who had their iPod on... I didn't really feel like talking to them, as Hinata's views and mine are the same. It really annoys me. I mean, they can take it out. I think what I have to say, if I actually expend energy to say it, is probably more important than their song.

Anyway, the author says do not listen to your iPod when you're hanging out with someone (glares at people who do this), and lying, although a useful plot device, is very bad.

Oh, and Bluetooth scares me, too.

Rant done.

Please review.


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